WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Strange Adventures #5, by Tom King, Mitch Gerads, Evan "Doc" Shaner and VC's Clayton Cowles, on sale now.
In Strange Adventures #5, as the Earth creeps closer to a war with the Pykkt Empire, the U.S. Government makes the announcement that they will be forming a special group to work in conjunction with the Justice League in order to defeat the Pykkts. This issue teases that a "task force" is going to be formed. Could this be setting up the return of the superhero team from the 1990s, Justice League Task Force?
In Strange Adventures #5, the news reports that a few days ago Gotham City was attacked by some kind of robot. From the footage captured, it couldn't be determined if the robot had a terrestrial or alien origin. But a recent news update confirms that the robot, that killed three people and was taken down by Batman, was made on Pykkt. Government leaders speculate that this could be the "first sign of a long-anticipated invasion" from the Pykkt Empire. Hearings are then held about what options the Earth has for protecting itself from the coming invasion.
During the hearings, Martian Manhunter tries to quell concerns about the pending invasion by pointing out the Justice League has faced such threats before and has always prevailed. Alanna Strange doesn't agree with Martian Manhunter and tells the committee that Earth's heroes won't be enough to stop the Pykkt. The technology of Rann, Alanna points out, is thousands of years ahead of Earth tech and Rann was still defeated by the Pykkt Empire. Alanna points out to the committed, "Rann, my people, we were warriors with weapons beyond your comprehension - weapons that would test your greatest hero. And still, we fell. Still, we died." Based on Alanna's testimony, the President decides to "put together a task force" to work along with the Justice League to deal with this threat, and he is considering appointing Adam Strange as the leader of this task force.
Could the President be hinting at the formation of a new Justice League Task Force? The original Justice League Task Force was created by David Michelinie and Sal Velluto in 1993 and ran for thirty-eight issues. This team was a covert strike force that was made up of members of the currently existing Justice League International and Justice League Europe. Task Force was a more militaristic team that was sanctioned by the U.N. and used for missions that required more stealth and secrecy. Martian Manhunter was appointed team leader and he had the final say about all the team's members.
Because the nature of each mission was different, the Justice League Task Force had a rotating roster of members that was based on the needs of a hero's particular skill set. The original lineup included Aquaman, The Flash, Gypsy, Nightwing, and Martian Manhunter. New members were added and dropped from various missions, but Martian Manhunter eventually stabilized the roster to make them more of a team. This included Gypsy, L-Ron (in Despero's body), The Ray, Triumph, and Mystik.
The fact that the President called it a "task force" and that Martian Manhunter is sitting on the government committee does suggest that a new Justice League Task Force might be on its way. The President may want Adam Strange to head the new group, but with recent questions about Strange's military record and his being accused of murder, the Justice League may block his appointment. If this was to happen, then the chances are good of having Martian Manhunter back as the leader of the group.